Harmony shrugged. “Good enough, I suppose.”

I nodded. Harmony had never been the effusive type. She’d always had to be drawn out a bit before she would freely share what was on her mind. “And how are you and Muffin getting on?”

She couldn’t hide the small smile that spread to her lips. “Better than I expected.”

“And Mrs. Clementine?”

“A very gracious host.”

I raised an eyebrow. “But?”

“What makes you say there’s a but?”

“Well, there aren’t a lot of other words you’re saying, so I figured just maybe something was holding you back.”

She sighed, glanced back at the kitchen over her shoulder, and then took a seat across from me in the booth. “But I have no idea what comes next,” she confided.

“Folks worry too much about tomorrow. Just live today the best you can and tomorrow will take care of itself.”

Harmony bit her lip. Was it to keep from saying something she thought I wouldn’t appreciate? “You’re right,” she said after a moment. “Of course, you’re right. Um, I should get back to work.”

She didn’t give me the chance to argue, and before I knew it, she had skittered off to the back of the house. Jolene brought me my French toast several minutes later, and I didn’t see Harmony again the entire duration of my breakfast.

“The new girl a friend of yours?” Jolene asked later when she was refilling my half-full coffee mug.

I let the steam warm my face, inhaling the rich, earthy scent. Normally I didn’t drink caffeine so late in the day, but partaking in a proper sit-down breakfast without a mug of coffee to go with it just might qualify as a sin. “Mmm, from a long time back,” I told her.

“That’s good,” the waitress said before dropping her voice a couple notches and leaning closer to my table. “Because it seems she could really use one.”

“Can’t we all?” was my response.

Jolene laughed as she swept away from my table, her full hips swinging back and forth. A lot of men about town liked those hips very much, but none had ever managed to nail down their owner for a lifetime commitment.

I finished my meal and drained the last of my coffee knowing full well I’d be up later than I’d normally like that night, then left a tip for each of them and headed out.

I’d made it halfway down the block when the door to the restaurant burst back open and footsteps pounded toward me. When I turned, I saw Harmony standing with her arms crossed against the cold.

“Thank you for all your help,” she said. “You really help me to feel like maybe I do belong here after all.”

“Ain’t no maybe about it.” I turned to face her right there on the sidewalk. “Welcome home, Miss King.”

If I’d been wearing a hat, I’d have tipped it in her direction. But since I wasn’t, I just smiled and carried on my way.